'Mostly favorable' weather forecast for spring planting

The outlook for spring planting in much of the Upper Midwest, including eastern Wisconsin, looks better than 2014.

Mild temperatures and "variable" precipitation are part of the long-term forecast for spring field work for much of the region, an agricultural meteorologist said this week.

"We are looking at a mostly favorable scenario for spring planting," said Bryce Anderson, DTN senior ag meteorologist. "The spring forecast has above normal temperatures over the central and northern areas ... and precipitation mostly below normal over the northern Midwest ."

Anderson spoke as part of a DTN/The Progressive Farmer webinar Wednesday.

Farmers in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest battled through a cold wet spring last year that saw many crops going in later than usual — thanks in large part to a hard, long, winter in 2014.

"There's a little better situation than we've had in some parts of the country the last couple of years, particularly in northern areas," Anderson said about spring weather prospects. "I think we're going to be able, in general, to have a pretty good start to the field work season."

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He said since October precipitation in the Upper Midwest has been "less than normal." except in some parts of the Ohio and Tennessee valley area.

"We have a drier pattern and that is going to allow for soils to warm up a little bit faster in the northern third of the Corn Belt," Anderson said. "Even though we've had some of these heavy rain and snow events (in the Ohio Valley), I don't think we're looking at a real long-term delay in terms of wet ground because ... I think the ground is going to absorb the moisture fairly well."

Much of the Midwest is drought free, he said. However, the western United States remains dry. That is not forecast to change.

The highest rainfall amounts — and possible planting delays — could be in the parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and northern Georgia, Anderson said.

Darrell McCauley, agricultural agent with the Winnebago County University of Wisconsin-Extension, said planting weather looks more favorable this year than last year.

"It's has been a dry period here for a little bit without the snow cover or periodic rains, so there may be a little drier start, but it appears the year is going to start off a little earlier," he said. "Last year was delayed planting... Some (corn) didn't get planted until that second week in June."

Planting usually gets underway in Winnebago county in late April.

"A lot of the corn didn't get off fields until really late last year, a lot of fields were held over because (the corn) didn't dry down and didn't get the amount of growing season that was necessary," McCauley said.

The Green Bay area has an equal chance of normal, below normal, or above normal temperatures and precipitation in the next 90 days, according to the National Weather Service office in Ashwaubenon.

— nphelps@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @nathanphelpsPG or Instagram at Nathan_Phelps_PG